Special Collections & Archives Blog

Author Archive

The following post was written by Monique Swaby, Religion in North Carolina Project graduate assistant.

My name is Monique Swaby and I am the graduate assistant working with research and outreach for the Religion in North Carolina Project at Wake Forest University’s Department of Special Collections and Archives. I am a graduate of Smith College, 06’ and received my Master of Education from the University of Vermont, 11’. Currently I am working on my Master of Divinity at Wake Forest School of Divinity, 15’. From there I will go on to create a faith-based non-profit that focuses on spiritual formation, community service and teaching in Winston-Salem. I believe this collection will be a great resource to my current and future endeavors for community collaboration and historical knowledge. Some of my work with this project includes producing materials to highlight items in the collection, as well as offering presentations on Religion in NC and its uses to groups at WFU and its neighboring community.

The digital collection for the Religion in NC project is a collaborative effort between Duke University, UNC- Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University. Religion in NC is federally funded through a grant provided by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and administered by the State Library of North Carolina. This project is entering its third year of funding and will continue to enhance the digital collection of religious and cultural life in North Carolina. What makes this database so special is that it is the only one of its kind. It specifically focuses on one state’s religious life where a multitude of primary resources can be found right at your fingertips through a single collection. This project has gathered primary resources through thousands of local and state-wide religious institutions such as historical foundations, churches, individuals, and library systems at Harvard University, Elon College, the Charlotte Mecklenberg Library, and our very own Wake Forest Baptist Historical Collection to name a few.

So, who exactly can utilize our digital collection and what treasures of historical data can you find? I’m glad you asked. Our collection houses materials that include conference proceedings, meeting minutes, autobiographies, newsletters, serial publications, and sermons. There is also a growing number of ephemeral works such as cookbooks, event programs, and directories. One of the most intriguing aspects of this collection are the personal stories that are recorded through letters and other materials from individual life. Anyone interested in personal, professional, or social history of religion in a vast array of communities can find these resources helpful. The collection may also appeal to anyone who is interested in how technology is being used to document our state’s rich cultural and religious history such as historians, genealogists, librarians, religious groups, teachers, and students. The Religion in NC portal can be reached through our website or directly thought the Internet Archive hosted site. Our goal is to help preserve and transfer the cultural and religious history of our state. With your help we can continue to add to this collection as well if you have any materials you may wish to add. We hope you will enjoy this great resource for many of your personal and professional needs. History is always worth preserving and the religious life of North Carolinians is no exception. Enjoy! If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact us at Special Collections and Archives…

Did you ever wonder who Jasper Memory was? Or want to know more about Bostwick Residence Hall? We have got the online exhibit for you!

Special Collections & Archives is excited to release Buildings & Roads of Wake Forest University: A Student Perspective on our University’s History. This project started last summer when John Walsh, Class of 2014, worked part-time in Special Collections. His charge was to research and write-up the history of how or why buildings and roads on campus were named. The result is an engaging narrative of the campus landmarks we see every day. Enthusiastically written and complemented by the photography of Ken Bennett, Special Collections & Archives hopes that students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors all utilize this exhibit to learn more about campus and have a little fun. Many thanks to Kevin Gilbertson and his expertise for putting this online exhibit together.

E is for..

Edmund Gamble Military Order

This document, dated Aug. 16, 1779, is apparently an order to Edmond Gamble, Assistant Commissary, to take charge of the provisions for the Continental troops during the American Revolution. He was apparently commissioned by Governor Caswell of North Carolina, and served to the end of the war.

E is also for… Ernest W. Glass Photograph Collection

Ernest Wilson Glass is an alumnus of Wake Forest College, class of 1944. He later served as pastor of many North Carolina Baptist churches.

These photographs were taken by Glass and others on the Wake Forest College campus in Wake Forest, North Carolina from 1942 to 1944, while he was a student. The snapshots are of male and female friends, the Woman’s Army Corps of the Army Finance School marching on Gore Field, his Greek Class, and Professor Thane McDonald. The collection includes black and white photographic prints and negatives. To see what else is in the collection check out the finding aid for the Ernest W. Photograph Collection.

And E is for… Evelyn P. Foote Papers

Evelyn Patricia “Pat” Foote served as an officer in the United States Army for 30 years, rising to the rank of Brigadier General. Her career is marked by several “firsts” for female Army officers, and she is considered an expert in issues affecting American women in military service.

This collection consist primarily of correspondence, newsletters, speech notes, clippings, photographs, certificates, and official Army orders, reports, and personnel records. The materials in the collection document Foote’s career in the Army from 1959 to 1989 as well as her numerous speaking engagements, participation in organizations, and attendance at conferences regarding women in the military through 1998. It also documents her participation in the creating of the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.; and her involvement in various presidential campaigns. To find out more about this interesting collection, look through the finding aid for Evelyn P. Foote Papers.

Get fanatic about F…

This ABC’s of Special Collections blog post was written by student assistant Brittany Newberry.

Special Collections and Archives is honored to recognize the Class of 2014 with a new exhibit “Dream Big: Commencement at Wake Forest University Through the Years.” Commencement is the culmination of years of academic work, when Wake Forest graduates are recognized and introduced to the wider world. “Dream Big” is a visually dynamic exhibit featuring images of past Wake Forest commencements, in addition to 19th and 20th century invitations, and programs. All are welcome to come see the archival materials on display as we get ready to send another class of Demon Deacons out into the world.

This is Paige, a Special Collections student assistant and Senior here at WFU. Paige has worked in Special Collections since her freshman year. We rely on Paige to do any number of things in our department including writing blog posts, processing collections, and reference desk shifts. In this picture, Paige is rehousing and updating a University Archives finding aid in preparation for a larger appraisal and processing project of our Manuscript holdings. Paige has processed many collections and has been extremely helpful as we plan for the future of Special Collections and Archives. Paige is one of our many seniors graduating this Spring. Thanks to all of our student assistants for their hard work in making Special Collections and Archives successful!

D is for…

Dolmen Press

Founded in 1951 by Liam Miller and his wife Josephine Brown, the press operated in Dublin until Miller’s death in 1987. It was founded as a way to provide a publishing outlet for Irish poetry. It heavily featured the work of Irish artists. The scope of the press grew to include prose literature by Irish authors as well as a broad range of critical works about Irish literature and theater.

The founder, Liam Miller, was born April 24, 1924 in Mountrath, Ireland. He was educated in Ireland at Ballyfin College and University College Dublin, where he studied architecture. In addition to his role with the Dolmen Press, Miller was very active in the Dublin community. An avid philatelist, he served for many years on the Irish Department of Posts and Telegraphs’ Philatelic Advisory Committee. Passionate about live theater, Miller helped revive the Abbey Theatre and the Abbey’s Peacock Theatre. He became director of the Lantern Theatre, and frequently used his architectural skills to design and create sets for the Lantern’s productions. An authority on Yeats and Irish theater, he wrote and spoke frequently on these topics.

This collection consists of information relating to the publications and printing jobs of the Dolmen Press, the administrative and financial documents of its operation, and the design work and personal papers of Liam Miller. For more on the Dolmen Press and its founder, Liam Miller, check out the Dolmen Press finding aid and visit the Special Collections and Archives research room for a more in depth look at the this extensive collection.

D is also for…Duke Tobacco Company Cigarette Cards

In the late 19th century, colorful cigarette cards were an ideal way to advertise the use of tobacco, an increasingly popular and widespread diversion in the U.S. The earliest cards using single images dated from 1877. Over time as popularity escalated, series of images were produced to promote the sale of cards to collectors and traders. Cartophily, or the hobby of collecting cards, was born.

The early success of cigarette cards led many companies to adopt this new advertising method. Subjects ranged from U.S. Presidents to cowboys to baseball. With the use of color lithography and mechanized printing, mass production of the cards was possible. The digital images in this collection represent cigarette cards dating from 1888. One series, “Terrors of America,” depicts young boys in various pursuits. Another series, “Shadows,” depicts a variety of people with caricatures in their shadows. The cards were issued as advertisement for Duke Brothers and Company, Durham, N.C., and packed in Duke’s cigarettes. For more information on these cigarette cards see the finding aid for the Duke Tobacco Company Cigarette Cards and visit the Special Collections and Archives research room to view them.

And D is for…Le terze rime di Dante

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) or simply known as Dante, was a major Italian poet. He is known for his work The Divine Comedy and is known as il Sommo Poeta (The Supreme Poet) in Italy and is considered the Father of the Italian Language. The rare books collection’s copy of Le terze rime di Dante was published in 1502 in Italian. It was published in Venice by Aldus Manutius or Aldo Manuzio, who founded the Aldine Press. It’s the first small format edition of Dante, all earlier editions are in folio. This copy has bookplates of John Ruskin, F. Hayward Joyce, and John Saks and the label of William Salloch on back free endpaper. To look at and see more of Dante’s works please visit the Special Collections and Archives research room. You can learn more about Dante, Minutius, and Aldine Press by reading a post by Megan from last year.

Get ecstatic for E…

This ABC’s of Special Collections blog post was written by student assistant Brittany Newberry.

We are so excited about the story published in Wake Forest Magazine on Friday! Read all about our discovery of a Philomathesian banner and our plans for it in the future in Kerry King’s article “Finding A Piece of History.”

C is for…

Casa Artom Scrapbooks

Casa Artom is a house, purchased by WFU in 1974, facing the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. The two-story house was built in the 1820s and is located between the Peggy Guggenheim Museum and Ca’Dario. The house is named for Dr. Camillo Artom, a faculty member at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and his wife Bianca, a teacher of Italian and native of Venice. Wake Forest University students and faculty reside in Casa Artom while participating in the semester in Venice or other study-abroad programs.

Students at Casa Artom

The Casa Artom Scrapbook collection consists of 14 bound scrapbooks, including originals and facsimiles, in which students and other visitors have written their thoughts and reminiscences about their time at Casa Artom. Guests of the house are invited to sign scrapbooks during their visit as a way to record their time spent in Venice.

Page from Casa Artom scrapbook

The scrapbooks range in dates from 1974 to 2007. You can find both photographs and original drawings by students and faculty in the scrapbooks. For more information, check out the Casa Artom Scrapbooks finding aid.

C is also for …Choate Family Papers

Excerpt from the Choate Family Papers

This collection of papers from the Choate family living in Alleghany County, North Carolina consists primarily of correspondence between William Thomas Choate (1832-64) and his wife, Martha (Fender) Choate (1836-97), during his service as an officer in Company I, 61st Regiment North Carolina State Troops during the Civil War. His letters are concerned with camp life, the Battle of Antietam, casualties, sickness in his company, and the need for food and clothing from home. His wife’s letters are mostly about the family and neighbors, deaths in the family and neighborhood, sickness, running the family farm, care of livestock, and her wanting William to come home. Other correspondents include William Choate’s brothers, friends, relatives and others. For more on the Choate Family Papers look through the finding aid and visit Special Collections to see the microfilm.

And C is for…Cranford by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Title page from Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell was a British novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. She was born in London in 1810 and died in 1865. She’s known for works such as Ruth, The Life of Charlotte Bronte, North and South, and Cranford. Her novels offer readers details on the lives of many strata of English society including the very poor. She framed her stories as critiques of contemporary attitudes and generally emphasized the role of women.

Biographical information on Gaskell

Cranford was a popular novel during the 19th century. First published in 1851 in serial in the magazine Household Words, Cranford is one of the best known novels of Elizabeth Gaskell. It was published in eight parts in Charles Dickens’ journal from 1851 until 1853. Cranford is different from the other novels by Elizabeth Gaskell in that it is the depiction of a small English village and is concerned with the everyday occurrences in the lives of mainly older ladies, rather than the story of a great social problem threatening the lives and security of the characters. Special Collections and Archives has two copies of this wonderful novel. Special Collections’ older copy was published in New York in 1892 and is a part of the Charles L. Smith collection. The second copy was published in London in 1935 and is one of 500 copies printed at the University Press, Oxford. To read one of these copies in the Rare Books collection, visit the Special Collections and Archives reading room.

And don’t forget to look out for D…

This ABC’s of Special Collections blog post was written by student assistant Brittany Newberry.